Katherine
by Flames101
Summary: On Hold. What happens right after the season finalie of the Vampire Diaries? My version of next season. Elena gets the surprise of a lifetime, in the form of a family member. Spoliers to the season 3 is new. Please R&R!
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hi all! So, I totally shouldn't be writing this. I've got so many other stories I should be updating instead. But I couldn't resist. The season finale of the Vampire Diaries practically screamed to me saying 'fanfic time.' Anyways, I hope you take the time to read this story. It takes place right after the episode ended, so there are probably some spoilers to the finale.

Hope you enjoy! Please R&R! Thanks

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

**Prologue**:

"Jeremy," Elena called up the stairs. "Are you up?" She waited for a response, but realized that he probably wouldn't respond knowing it was her.

Taking a deep breath she resolved herself to going upstairs and talking to him. He had to find out what went down that night from her and not from Anna.

She was about to go upstairs when she heard a crash from the kitchen.

Frowning, she called out, "Jenna, is that you?"

No answer. There was something wrong here, she could feel it. As she slowly walked towards the kitchen, the sense of trepidation nearly overwhelmed her. It was so bad that she stopped at the entrance of the kitchen afraid to go further.

Nothing seemed wrong, as she did a quick scan of the room. So why was her 'spidey' sense going crazy? Looking from left then right she quickly realized why.

There was blood against the wall. Gulping down her shudder she took tentative steps around the island; whatever or whoever was there was surely behind the counter, she could feel it.

Two more steps, she saw a pair of manly feet. "Oh my God, please don't be Jeremy," she sputtered out.

She took another deep breath. She could do this, she could do this…. She kept telling herself.

Elena practically tiptoed around the island and the sight she found made her jump two feet backwards.

"Oh my God!" she yelled. "Uncle John!"

No, not her uncle, her father lay slumped against the cupboard. A huge gash ran down from his throat to his abdomen. His eyes stared at her, lifeless, but she still rushed to his side.

"John," she called. "John." She shook the man that she'd only recently come to know as her father, hoping to stir him from his endless slumber.

He wasn't waking no matter how hard she shook him. The sobs that she heard break free from her mouth shocked her so much that she shook the man harder. And with this effort it jolted his right arm free to fall across the floor.

Elena caught a glimpse of his mutilated right hand, turned and threw up right on the floor.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and jumped up. She looked at John and then turned away so she couldn't see his lifeless eyes staring accusingly at her.

'I didn't do this,' she wanted to scream. But she didn't.

Elena ran a shaky hand through her hair. "Who did this?" she said to herself.

Where were Jenna and Jeremy? Why didn't they hear who did this? Where were they? Were they hurt?

The last thought shocked her into movement. She ran out of the kitchen and through to the front hall, taking the stairs two at a time. Reaching the upstairs landing she stopped in her tracks, shaking. Was she prepared to see what she thought she might see? No, definitely not. But she had to know her family was all right.

She nodded to herself, resolved to do what she had to do. Jeremy first, she had to know he was all right. If anything ever happened to him… she didn't know what she would do.

Elena took hesitant steps towards her brother's door. She could hear music blasting from inside. Maybe that explained his lack of response and not hearing what went on downstairs.

Elena knocked on the door, waiting. No answer. "Jere," she called. "Please Jeremy, talk to me."

Nothing still. The trepidation was back full force. She didn't care if he got mad at her; she pushed open the door, bracing herself for what she might see.

What she saw was Jeremy lying across his bed. He was sleeping… good, she was glad he hadn't heard or seen what had happened downstairs. She'd just go and call the police and…

Before shutting the door behind her something caught her eye. Blood, on the floor by Jeremy's night stand. She shuddered at the sight, she didn't want to investigate… but had to.

Walking over to the nightstand she saw where the blood's source was coming from. A knife on the night stand, dripping blood on the ground.

"No," Elena murmured before her mind could catch up. "No Jeremy, you didn't!"

She approached her brother on his bed and shook him. "Jeremy, wake up!" she said loudly. "Jeremy!" He didn't stir. "Jeremy, come on wake up!"

Something was terribly wrong. She didn't want to, but she put a hand to his neck looking for a pulse. And then she screamed.

* * *

Well that's it. I hope you enjoyed my rendition on what happens next. More to come soon.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Wow, I got such a great response for the first chapter that I wanted to come out with the next chapter quickly. So, I hope you enjoy this one as much as the first one. And let me know what you think with a review. Thanks!

Oh and I couldn't figure out what I should title this chapter. So if you have a suggestion, let me know! Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

**Chapter 1:**

Elena couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe what happened. The events of the past ten hours had her slumped on the floor against her bedroom door.

"Elena, please open the door," Stefan's concerned voice came through her door. "Please talk to me!"

"Stefan," she practically choked his name out. She hadn't stopped crying since she realized it was a lifeless body in her brother's bed. "Please go away… I… I don't want to talk… I can't… please…"

She heard her loving boyfriend sigh. Elena remembered the events that led Stefan to be pounding on her door.

_Elena kept screaming and screaming. She couldn't stop. What was in front of her wasn't possible. Jeremy was not gone._

"_Elena!" she heard Jenna yell. Then she heard running footsteps as she ran looking for her niece. "Elena!"_

_Elena turned towards the door when she heard her aunt enter the room. She watched Jenna's face instantly pale when she saw her own face with the tears streaming down it._

"_Elena, what's wrong? What's… Jeremy?" Jenna looked towards the bed. "Jeremy?"_

_Jenna tentatively walked towards the bed and gasped in pain. "Jeremy, no… no… he's… he's not…"_

_Jenna looked from Jeremy on the bed, back to Elena and suddenly choked in pain… breaking down, she collapsed into Elena's arms._

Elena's sob's only got louder at the memory.

"Elena!" this time it was Damon's voice. "Open the door; I need to talk to you!"

"Leave me alone Damon!" she yelled.

"I need to tell you something," Damon tried again.

"Damon, maybe we should…" Stefan said cautiously.

"You're not seriously saying we should leave her alone like this?" Damon shot at his brother.

Elena drowned out their arguing with the memory of what happened after Jenna had found her.

"_What… what happened?" Jenna cried, hesitantly approaching her nephew's prone body._

_Elena shook her head. "I… I don't know… I was downstairs… I found John—"_

"_John? What did he do?" Jenna asked vehemently._

_Elena couldn't help but cry harder at the irony of the moment. "Nothing… nothing, he's… he's dead…"_

"_What?" Jenna stood up from where she knelt next to Jeremy's bed. She ran all the way downstairs. And then Elena heard her aunt scream._

_Elena pulled out her phone and dialled almost unconsciously. She put the phone to her ear._

"_Elena," came Stefan's voice._

"_I need you…" she simply said._

And with Stefan came Damon. They had helped her and her aunt call the police. Up until 30 minutes ago they had swarmed her entire house. They had questioned her again and again. And in the end they had deduced that the whole thing had been a murder-suicide.

They believed that John and Jeremy had gotten into an argument. Jeremy had used a kitchen knife to kill him and then he'd gone upstairs, downed a whole load of pills and drifted off first to sleep and then to death.

Elena didn't believe any of it. And she'd told the Sheriff she was wrong. The Sheriff had just looked back at her pityingly.

"Elena…" Damon continued.

"Damon, shut up," Stefan said angrily.

"You," Damon shot back childishly. Then his voice softened. "Elena, you're stronger than this. I know you… you can deal with this. It's going to be damn hard, but you can do this… now let me in… cause I need to talk to you."

Something in his words hit home. She was strong, he was right. She was hurting so bad, she felt that with each breath she could die. But she was strong and she had to be strong because she had to find out what really happened. Not that murder-suicide crap-- that wasn't real-- but the real truth.

Slowly, she stood up and groped for the handle only realizing now that she'd cried so much her eyes had nearly swollen shut.

She turned the handle and opened the door. Both brothers stood there at the ready. Stefan made to come in, but Elena shook her head.

"Only Damon," she said quietly.

She just wanted to hear what he had to say and then she'd send him on his way too, so she could continue to contemplate what had happened.

Damon walked inside solemnly. She shut the door behind them, seeing Stefan's stricken face right before it shut. And then she turned to Damon.

He was watching her silently. She thought she'd see pity in his eyes, but all there was was sadness and concern.

"How… how are you?" he asked dumbly.

It was his uncertainty at the situation that did it. Elena, suddenly couldn't help it, she threw her arms around Damon and started crying all over again.

It seemed like hours of crying, before she pulled off his shoulder. He'd been silent the whole time.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

He gave her a squeeze and then did something that shocked her; he gave her forehead a kiss. "Don't be," he told her.

"Uh," she cleared her throat and pulled away from him, feeling…strange. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Let's sit," he told her, instead. She climbed onto her bed and watched him take the chair at her desk. "I wanted to tell you what I was talking to Jeremy about. Maybe it will help you believe the Sheriff's story better."

"It won't…" she told him vehemently. "Jeremy couldn't have done that. I know my brother. Wait… when did you talk to him?"

Damon looked at her strangely. "Before I talked to you out on the porch," he said as if it were obvious.

Elena frowned. "I didn't see you on the porch. I haven't talked to you since Stefan pulled you out of the building."

Damon shook his head. "No, you did. I came out of your house, helped you with your stuff—"

"My stuff? Someone stole my stuff," Elena protested.

Damon looked irritated. "Elena, what are you talking about? I was coming out of your house. You came up with your stuff. I helped you and then we ki—" he cut himself off.

Elena knew what he was about to say. "We what?"

"Son of a bitch," he mumbled to himself.

"What?" Elena wanted to know.

"I've got to go," Damon said suddenly. "I'm sorry."

"Damon wait, tell me what's wrong!" she demanded.

Stefan opened the door, peeking in.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"I've got to go," Damon said again.

"Wait," Elena pleaded. "At least tell me what you talked to Jeremy about."

Damon let out a sigh. "I came to tell him about Anna."

"What about Anna?" Stefan asked.

"She's dead. John killed her," Damon said without preamble. "I wanted to tell him so he wouldn't have to wonder what happened to her."

"No… no… Jeremy," Elena cried. "He couldn't have… he would never kill… not even…"

Damon put his hands on her shoulders. "He didn't Elena," he told her firmly.

She was confused. "But you said…"

"I know what I said… that was before…"

"Damon what's going on?" Stefan asked suspiciously.

"Something bad," Damon managed to say before leaving.

Elena looked to Stefan hoping for elaboration. But all Stefan could do was give her a look that said, "You know how Damon is."

Elena turned away from Stefan and went for her bed.

"Elena—" Stefan tried again.

"Stefan, don't," Elena cut him off. "I just need time alone… to think."

Stefan let out a sigh and left the room.

All Elena needed to do was think all this through and then everything would make sense. It had to.

* * *

_Where the hell was he?_ Was his first thought when he woke up. And then he became aware of sensations. _Damn, I'm cold._

He opened his eyes and found he couldn't see anything. Why couldn't he see anything? He panicked. Lifting his arms he groped ahead and realized there was a sheet over his face.

The sheet pulled away easily enough and now he stared straight up at the ceiling with its glowing blue fluorescent lights.

This time he spoke out loud. "Where am I?"

Slowly he sat up, letting the sheet fall to his waist. He looked around the room noting the drawers in the wall ahead of him, the flat tables also in the room like the one he was laying on, the table at the far end of the room with an obvious sheet and lump underneath. He shuddered and gulped for air.

He was in the county morgue.

_Why was he in the morgue? He was obviously not dead, so why was he here? Was this some practical joke Tyler decided to play on him? This was so not funny. He would definitely pay him back for this because he was so not—_

"It worked," he suddenly blurted out.

"Well almost," a voice spoke from behind him.

He jerked quickly around to face the speaker. It was a woman he'd never seen before and yet there was something familiar about her, something about her eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked frantically. "Are you the…" he struggled to find the right term, "… the morgue doctor? I'm not supposed to be here. I've got to go. I'm not dead, see. I'm a—"

"A vampire?" the woman surprised him by asking, she lifted an amused eyebrow at him. "No, you're not, not yet, that is."

He frowned. "What do you mean, not yet?"

The woman smiled, what he thought she assumed to be a comforting smile, but it only made her look more nefarious and said, "That's why I'm here Jeremy, to help you complete the transition."

The transition, but he'd done what Anna had said, died with his blood in her system. What else was there to it?

"Come," the woman said.

It was more of an order than a request and she had Jeremy terrified enough to comply.

* * *

Damon hurried out of the Gilbert house. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known or at least have made an educated guess. He should have known she wasn't done with him. She was a user through and through and there was much left of him to use, after all he was still alive.

Damon thought back to the moment on the porch. There was nothing at all to indicate that the person he had spoken to was not Elena. She looked like Elena, spoke like Elena, even smelled like her. But he should have known, first, when "Elena" had let him kiss her and then after when she tasted so familiar.

But he had chocked up the familiarity to Elena being her ancestor. How stupid he'd been! He should have put two and two together.

And now he was rushing to the one place he knew she'd be waiting for him. The one place that held memories for both of them-- fond for him, probably meaningless ones for her.

He opened the door to the Salvatore mansion and rushed inside. He didn't see her, but that didn't mean she wasn't there.

Searching though the house, he finally found her in his bedroom. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the familiar shape of Elena's body facing his bed, her back to him. But he knew this wasn't Elena. This was the eviler, inferior version of Elena.

"Such hatred is unbecoming of you, Mr. Salvatore," Elena's voice spoke coolly.

Still, she did not turn around. "You look at me as if you would like to throttle me. Me, I stand here thinking of all the pleasant memories we shared right here in this bed."

She turned around then, and if he had had any doubts before on whether or not this was Elena the blackness of her eyes dashed them away.

"Why do I warrant such disdain?" she asked, trying to throw a hint of hurt in her voice, but only managing to sound colder.

He was surprised at how angry his voice came out when he finally spoke. "Katherine," he practically growled. "What the hell do you want?"

* * *

Well that's it for now.

Thanks to all the lovely response I got for the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one just as much.

Thanks to my reviewers: **beatrizlins61 **_(I loved the season finale! After I got over the fact that that wasn't Elena who'd kissed Damon, I thought it was awesome Katherine finally made an appearance. I hope they meet too!);_ **-Dark-and-Light-Angel-Girl** _(Hope that's good interesting… thanks for the review!);_ **MissJames96** _(Thanks! I loved the season finale. I sat there for a good minute yelling at how shocked I was);_ **Gossipaholic101** _(Thanks, muchly!);_ **Valkyrie-Shapeshifter666** _(Thanks so much! I never thought that about my penname. It's actually because I'm a big fan of the Calgary Flames a NHL hockey team and I know everything about them);_ and **allison lightning** _(no not very elaborate because I just wanted this chapter to be an intro one, hence why I called it a prologue. Thanks for the review!)_

So, I'll try to update soon, probably by next weekend.

See ya soon!


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Vampire Diaries.

**Chapter 2:**

"What do I want?" Katherine asked. "Nothing whatsoever. I only came to visit you, Damon. It's been so long…"

She approached him, placing a hand on his chest.

Damon just stood there in disbelief; like was she really going to stand there and claim she had missed him? After all these years? Yeah right.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I can see that I've hurt you in someway. Pray tell what I have done so that I may alleviate the tension between us. I do so want to be good friends again."

Her hand ran down his chest and back up again.

"You've got to be kidding me, right?" Damon blurted out, usually a master of his emotions, until someone really pissed him off. "Let's start with the fact that you've let me believe that you were locked up in that tomb for over a hundred years. Do you know what I've been trying to do for those hundred years? I've been trying to get you out!

"And then, I do manage to get the tomb open, and guess what? You're not there! And instead I release twenty other vampires who hate the town, not to mention Stefan and me.

"And that leads me to the real kicker, you've known all along what I've been trying to do and never so much as sent a postcard from whatever hell hole you've been crawled up in to say, 'Hey, don't worry about me…'

"Pray tell, is that enough to cause the tensions between us?"

His breathing was coming out harshly as Katherine looked at him calmly. He had no clue what she was thinking and he realized he never had.

Suddenly, he found himself pressed up against the wall with Katherine's black eyes boring into him. Her hand was at his throat crushing his larynx.

"Listen, you snivelling, pathetic excuse for a man, you were fun, but the moment passed when your father began to hunt us down. Now, whenever I look at you or your soft brother I only see him. So, forgive me if I didn't feel like finding you to jump your bones," Katherine gritted out.

She slammed him against the wall once before abruptly letting him go. Damon caught himself quickly not wanting to fall in front of this Elena doppelganger.

Exasperated, Damon asked, "So, why the hell are you here?"

She was turned away from him and he couldn't tell how mood-swing-Katherine was going to react.

"Call it nostalgia," she said sweetly. A voice that used to entice him, now only made his ears want to rot like a cavity. "But I wanted to see Mystic Falls one last time, before…"

She trailed off and Damon didn't like the sound of that "before."

"Before what?" he asked suspiciously.

She turned around; her eyes weren't only dark, they were bloodshot, a sure sign of how bloodthirsty she was. "Before, I and thirty or so other vampires annihilate this whole town," she paused, seemingly enjoying Damon's outright shocked look. "You see, we vampires aren't ready for the world to know about us. And this town is getting a little too close for comfort. In fact, thanks to you and your idiot brother there's quite a few people who already know. I thought it was only fitting to start with your little girlfriend."

Damon lunged at Katherine, pinning her to the opposite wall in the same manner she had done to him.

She laughed at him. "Monkey see, monkey do," she murmured.

"You, stay away from Elena!" Damon growled out.

Katherine rolled her eyes at him. "Please, my so called ancestor is not even half the woman I am. I think its only fitting for me to be the only one with this beautiful face."

He slammed her against the wall, having no intention of letting her go. "Stay away from her!"

"Please, what are you going to do?" Katherine scoffed. "As we speak, I've got a small army of vampires heading to her house."

It was Damon's turn to laugh. "You think that's going to work? Your lackeys need to be invited in. Elena's not an idiot."

"No, but she's a sentimental fool and I have a secret weapon," Katherine replied secretively.

"Isabelle? Elena wants nothing to do with her. She won't let her in," Damon assumed.

Katherine's eyes shone at Damon with the glee she felt at how wrong he was. "No, not Isabelle…someone more dear and near to Elena's heart. Someone she's been missing grievously."

"No…" Damon murmured, as realization dawned on him. "You won't get away with this. I'll stop it."

He let go of Katherine, but before he could take a step he found that his leg was suddenly numb.

Looking down, he found a syringe poking out of his left thigh.

The last thing Damon saw was Katherine's evil grin as she said to him, "Parting is such sweet sorrow…" before she laughed and he passed out.

* * *

Jeremy felt so exhilarated; he felt so alive. It was ironic, he had never felt so alive before in his life and he was dead.

He wasn't just someone that could be used to make their boyfriend jealous. He wasn't just Elena's little brother. He was someone now. He was a vampire. And he was ready to let the world know exactly what Jeremy Gilbert was really capable of.

"Slow down there cowboy," his companion and enlightener said to him. "We'll get there soon enough."

Jeremy spun around quickly. "How can you just walk so casually? I feel like running and jumping and… and dancing…"

She gave him a familiar indulgent smile. "Practice," she murmured. "Now slow down."

Jeremy watched his saviour walk quickly ahead of him. "You really are Elena's mother aren't you?" he whispered, not thinking she could hear him.

Isabelle turned around, her face hardened. "No Jeremy, your mother is Elena's mother," she said coldly.

Jeremy shook his head. "No, I mean biological—"

She cut him off, her voice coming out harsh, "No, Jeremy, biology doesn't make a mother."

He wondered why she was so reluctant to acknowledge Elena as her daughter, but he felt that there was no more talking to her on the subject.

He shrugged and continued his fast paced walk. He really just wanted to get home and tell Elena he was sorry. And let everything go back to normal.

Jeremy and Isabelle continued their silent walk and finally he saw the familiar sight of his home.

"Look Isabelle, it's where I live," he said happily. He ran ahead.

"Wait, Jeremy," he heard Isabelle yell at him.

Jeremy didn't heed her words. He continued to run up the steps. As he reached for the door handle he felt something blocking his way. Like an invisible force field. He tried a couple more times and then turned around searching for Isabelle for answers.

She was climbing the steps behind him. He didn't really like the pitying look on her face.

"You can't go in Jeremy," Isabelle answered his silent plea. "You need to be invited in."

"But, it's my house," Jeremy protested.

Isabelle shook her head sadly. "The dead own nothing."

Jeremy looked at her in disbelief. "Elena will let me in!" he told her firmly.

He turned to knock on the door, but was stopped.

"Wait Jeremy, before you see your sister there is something I must tell you. Something you must do for me."

She'd helped him fully change into the glorious being he was now. Of course, he'd help her.

"Ok."

* * *

Elena had cried herself out. She was done with tears. She physically had no more left in her. That could have been due to the fact that she hadn't drunk or eaten anything in over 24 hours.

She didn't want to, but she felt her stomach was eating itself and she was starving. So she opened up the door, bracing herself for an ambush. But no one was there. She hadn't expected her Aunt Jenna, because she was grieving in much the same way that Elena was, but she had definitely expected Stefan to be out there.

The fact that he wasn't slightly hurt, even though she had sent him away.

Elena put that out of her mind, not wanting anything right now but to stop the growing pain in her stomach. Though, she suspected that food would not do the trick.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs she could now hear some clattering going on in the kitchen. For a fleeting moment she had the image of her brother, making himself a sandwich, oblivious to everything going on around him except the music coming from his headphones.

But that could never be, because her brother was dead. Elena blinked back the tears that she'd thought she'd run out of.

Making her way to the kitchen she saw that Stefan had never really left. It had been him making the noise in the kitchen. He was cooking.

He turned around when he heard her enter and gave her a sad smile.

"Hungry?" he asked simply.

She nodded. She took a seat at the island. Silently, Stefan continued to cook. Once he came to place a comforting kiss on her cheek.

Finally, he placed a hefty bowl of spaghetti and meatballs in front of her.

"Eat," he told her.

She did. Stefan sure knew how to make a good bowl of comfort food.

Stefan watched her for a couple of minutes; when he seemed satisfied she was eating he turned around and poured another plate.

"I'm going to take this up to Jenna," he explained. "You ok down here?"

She nodded. Truthfully, she wasn't sure how she'd ever get the image of her uncle's—no dad's—body, so brutally butchered out of her mind. But she couldn't have Stefan glued to her side forever.

Elena ate fervently, letting nothing but the ache of hunger fill her mind. It was a blissful five minutes, pretending nothing was wrong. But it ended when she heard the doorbell ring.

She sighed. They'd managed to avoid having people come to give their condolences, but the news had to get out sometime.

Elena waited, hoping Stefan would come down to get it. But at another ring he still hadn't come down. Jenna must have been worse than she thought.

Elena stood up taking her plate of food with her for some reason. She reasoned she'd look through the peep hole and decide whether she had the strength to deal with whoever it was.

Reaching the door, she took in a deep breath and peeked out. The second she did the plate in her hand dropped and spaghetti and glass went flying everywhere.

"Jeremy," she shrieked.

She fumbled with the locks on the door, silently cursing her betraying eyes for tearing up so quickly.

With a hard yank, the door came free and she was face to face with her little brother.

"Elena," he said in a simple greeting, giving her the smile she so missed.

"Oh my God, Jeremy!" Elena shouted, throwing herself at him, hugging him ferociously.

"Whoa, Elena," Jeremy said, catching her weight effortlessly.

She pulled away from him to stare. "Jeremy, how are you… What happened… How could this…"

She started so many questions unsure of how to finish any of them.

"Yeah, I know," Jeremy said sheepishly. "But first can I come in?"

She laughed. "You even have to ask?"

She held the door wide open for him, but he continued to just stand there. "Jeremy, come in!"

Elena noticed some tension eased from his face and he stepped through the doorway. "Thanks sis."

Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps and the next thing Elena knew was Jenna standing at the foot of the stairs, staring wide eyed at her nephew.

"Jeremy?" she murmured quite demurely. "Is… Is that you?"

He laughed. "Yeah, Aunt Jenna, it's me."

And then as fast as she'd rushed down the stairs she was now falling to the ground.

"Jenna!" Jeremy said in alarm.

He was at her side in a flash, just in time for Stefan to witness Jeremy's quick burst of speed.

"Let's get her to the couch," Stefan said quickly.

Elena briefly wondered why Stefan didn't seem so surprised to see Jeremy before her gaze settled on her brother and she felt a surge of happiness.

They successfully moved their passed out aunt to the living room. Elena wanted to hug her brother but Stefan grabbed hold of her arm.

"Jeremy, why don't you go get your aunt a pillow and blanket to make her more comfortable," Stefan suggested.

Jeremy looked at Stefan and nodded in acknowledgement. He left the room.

"Stefan—" Elena wanted to protest.

"Kitchen, now," Stefan said firmly, no room for argument.

* * *

Isabelle stood watching the house at a safe distance. She was waiting for her signal, patiently. It was only a matter of time before she'd be inside. And then she'd go through with Katherine's plans. Or Isabelle's version of Katherine's plans.

Katherine wanted to eliminate all the residents of Mystic Falls for some old debt that had to be paid back. And for some reason she wanted to begin with her daughter's family.

She would go in; she'd kill, but not Elena. Somehow, Isabelle was going to make sure Elena got out alive.

When she'd given up Elena it wasn't only to later kill her at her own hands.

"Isabelle," came the deceiving sound of her daughter's voice.

Isabelle didn't turn around. "Katherine," she replied calmly.

They stood there watching the house in silence until Katherine decided to break it.

"You aren't going to back out now are you?"

Isabelle raised her eyebrow at her. "Really Katherine, after everything I've already done, you're asking me that now?"

Katherine shrugged. "She _is_ your daughter."

Once again she was shaking her head. "No she's not. And even if she is, this wasn't the life I wanted for her. She knows too much."

Katherine nodded. "Good."

And it seemed like she was done and had believed every word Isabelle had spoken.

"But," Katherine continued. "Just in case…"

Isabelle looked around as people—no vampires—started to appear from there hiding spots.

Looking at the 15 or so vampires, she wasn't sure if she hid her surprise and shock quickly enough.

* * *

"Stefan, what's going on?" Elena asked him once they were inside the kitchen.

Stefan wasn't exactly sure how Elena was going to take the news he was about to give her. But he had to do it.

"Elena isn't it weird how Jeremy just showed up on your doorstep?"

Elena gave him a strange look. "No, I think it's a miracle."

He let out a sigh. This might be harder than he thought. "Elena, come on. He was dead, now he's here. Think about it Elena."

She continued to look at him strangely and he waited for her to put two and two together.

"No," she gasped out. "It's not possible."

* * *

"Aunt Jenna," Jeremy whispered.

He hadn't meant to frighten his family, but he had been so happy to see them again.

"Jenna," he tried again, he saw her eyelids flicker. She was coming to. "Jenna, wake up."

"Jeremy…" she murmured. "Is… are you… here?"

He smiled. "I'm here."

She smiled back. "I was having the worst nightmare…"

She trailed off, realizing it wasn't really all a dream.

"Jenna," Jeremy whispered. "I need you to do something for me."

* * *

Well that's the end of this one. Hope you enjoyed it and the little cliffhanger.

Thanks for the reviews: **emmettismymonkeyman; beatrizlins61; and RaeSmile22.**

I'll try to update soon!


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